The Trial

Never seen a twist and turn like this (in American movies) in quite sometimes.

I started watching The Trial (Il Processo) out of curiosity because I was born in Mantova, the city where the story takes place. 30 minutes into the first episode I actually started buying into the story and I binge-watched the remaining episodes in just two days. The plot is well written. There seem to be a few pitfalls here and there, a couple of episodes in the second half could have been avoided altogether, but I never lost interest in the story. I must give particular credit to either the montage or the director for a specific reason: there are moment in a few episodes where the camera lingers on some details that "give away" a clue to what is about to come. While some people may think that they worked out everything and they "saw it coming", I believe that the technique is used intentionally to give the viewer the feeling to be actively taking part in solving the case.

A very good watch. I don't know if there will be a second season, I doubt so, but if they'll make it I'll be happy to watch it.

A change from the usual US courtroom dramas. Interesting to see the Italian justice system in play. Not a binge watch type but must admit that watched the last 3 episodes and did not feel the time as the ending is very good and the whole story is tied up quite neatly.

Good and very enjoyable watch.

Ignore the bad reviews. I'm fairly certain those are from viewers who watched the dubbed version. Wonderful storytelling.

This Italian noir is crafted with the utmost finesse. Set against the palatial Renaissance backdrop of Mantova-a city still relatively untouched by tourists-Il Processo takes us on a ride through the Italian judiciary system without bogging us down in bureaucracy, detail and Amanda Knox.

A refreshing change from Neopolitan, mafia-led dramas, and all the cringe set in Venice and Rome, Il Processo breathes a breath of fresh air into Italy's TV exports. It steers clear of the path to pretentiousness (from which many of its contemporaries never return), instead prioritising character development and a slow-burning sense of unease over a quick, intense thrill, maintaining intrigue until the end.

Elena, the enigmatic main character-our new best friend and elusive partner in crime-solving-is expertly cast. True to her surname, the prosecutor wages a war against an increasingly desperate defendant and, in the process, lets us question her own motives. The director never leads us down the garden path, instead giving us objectivity with which we come to our own, likely erroneous, conclusions.

Saying bye to Vittoria Puccini's Elena in the sunset-based finale (a solitary dose of corniness to sign off an exceptional series) is genuinely quite sad.